Resetting fuse plug



Sept. 30, 1952 c. ONDREJCA ET AL 2,612,575

I RESETTING FUSE PLUG Filed June 15, 1947 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 I nventoreLouis 6. Ondrejca Joseph E A Ondrejca Patented Sept. 30, 1952 RESETTINGFUSE PLUG:

Louis C. Ondrejca and Joseph F. Ondrejca, Orefield, Pa., assignors ofone-third to Francis Ondrejca, Orefield, Pa.

Application June 13, 1947, Serial No. 754,412

3 Claims. (01. 200-406) The present invention elates. to new and usefulimprovements in fuses, or circuit breakers and more particularly to aresetting fuse for reestablishing a circuit following an interruptionthereof due to an overload.

An important object of the invention is to provide a screw type fuseplug including a housing for an automatic circuitbreaker having pushbutton operated mechanism for reestablishing the circuit.

.A further object is to provide safety means locking the contacts of thecircuit breaker in open position to prevent premature or accidentalresetting of the device.

Another object is to provide a device of this character of simple,practical and compact construction, that is efiicient and reliable inuse, relatively inexpensive. to manufacture and otherwise well adaptedfor the purpose for which the same is. intended.

. Other objects and advantages resideinthe details of construction andoperationas more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer. to like parts throughout, and in which: I

Figure l is a perspective view of the automatic fuse plug;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing theresetting push button deing the swingable contact of the circuitbreaker.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of our invention,the numeral 5 designates a cylindrical housing of insulation materialhaving a. reduced inner end 6 provided with a metal threaded collar 1forming a plug for threading in a conventional electric socket. Aconductor 5 extends longitudinally through the reduced end 6 and into atubular contact 9 projecting from the end of the plug to provide thebase contact for the plug.

A porcelain body I is removably carried in the housing in which theupper portion of the conductor 8 is embedded and exposed at its upperend against a porcelain shoulder l2 to provide a stationary contact I3.Also embedded in the body I0 is a conductor I4 having one end exposedagainst the shoulder I2 in spaced relation from the contact I3 toprovide a second contact I5. The contacts l3 and I5 are bridged by amovable contact I6 carried at the free end of a spring arm I! which hasits other end secured to one end of a shaft I8 journaled in a porcelainshoulder I 8a of the body.

The conductor l4 extends transversely of the body III and is connectedat its other end to a conventional relay I9 recessed in an adjacent sideof the body and to which is also connected the conductor collar '1 ofthe plug by means of a conductor rod which extends through an opening 2|adjacent the lower end of the housing to engage the collar.

The. relay includes a pivoted circuit breaking armature 22 held in openposition by a wire spring 23' at its pivot and the pivoted end of thearmature 22 is formed with a lateral and inwardly extending finger24which underlies one end 25 of a trip lever 25.

The lever 26 is secured adjacent its center on a pin or shaft 21journalled in a porcelain support 28 formed integrally with the body andthe shaft 21 is also formed with a flat looking or trip notch 29 movableinto and out of the path of a dog 300. formed on a toggle link 30pivoted to the body and operated by a push button 3|. A coil spring 32carried by the shaft 21 holds the end 25 of the lever 26 downwardly andwith the locking notch '29 raised for locking engagement with the togglelink 30.

An adjustable stop 33 engaging the other end 341 of lever 26- limi'tsthe downward movement of end 25.

- The push button 31 projects outwardly through an opening 35 in a cap36 secured to the top of the housing 5 and a trip lever releasing pushbutton The toggle link 30 includes a link 39 having an extension 40pivoted thereto and also secured tothe. shaft IS. A coil spring 4|mounted on the shaft I8 and engaging the extension 40 exertsitsinfluence in a manner to rotate the shaft I8 in a direction to swingthe arm ll away from the contacts I3 and I5 against a stop 42 to holdthe circuit open.

A coil spring 43 positioned in a recess 44 in the body under the togglelink 30 holds the push button 3| in a raised position. In the operationof the device the contact |6 is moved into its closed position withcontacts I3 and I5, as shown in Figure 6, by depressing button 3| whichrotates the shaft |8 through the toggle link members 39 and extension40. The dog 30a on the toggle link 39 bears against the trip notch 29 tohold the toggle firmly during this depressing action of the button 3|against the opposing force of the spring 4| for link members 39 andspring I! for contact l6. held in its closed position by movement oftoggle links 39 downwardly past center, as shown in Figure 2, and whichthus holds push button 3| in its depressed position.

With contact I9 closed current passes through relay |9 withoutattracting the armature 22 which is held away from the surface of therelay by the spring 23.

Should an overload occur in the circuit, the armature 22 will beattracted to the relay to .swing the lower end of the armature inwardly,:such movement of the armature 22 raising the .finger 24 of the armatureto engage the end 25 of the trip lever 26 to rock the shaft 2! againsttension of spring 32 and release the notch 29 from the dog 30a,whereupon the spring 43 will raise toggle 39 and push button 3| andspring will swing contact I6 open to break the circuit.

The circuit is restored by again depressing the button 3|.

Safety push button 31 is used to manually break the circuit, whendesired, the depressing of the button 3! engaging the lateral shoulder38 on the end 34 of the lever 26 to rock the lever and shaft 21 torelease dog 30a which holds the toggle 30 and push button 3| in its setposition.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying. drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A resetting fuse plug comprising a hollow body having a pair ofcontacts at its inner end to provide a circuit connection with anelectrical socket, an insulated body remova'bly positioned in the hollowbody, and an automatic circuit breaker carried by the body andcomprising a pair of stationary contacts and a movable contact movableinto and out of engagement therewith, spring means biasing the movablecontact to an open position, a trip device holding the movable contactin closed position andincluding a rockable shaft having a locking notch,a push button operated resetting toggle member having a dog engageablewith the notch for locking the shaft against movement, means. con.-necting the toggle member to the movable contacts being located on oneside of said wall por- The contact H5 is tion and said toggle member,shaft and armature being located on the other side of said wall portion,said means connecting said toggle member to said movable contactcomprising a pin extending through said wall portion.

3. Aresetting fuse plug comprising a hollow body having a pair ofcontacts at its inner end to provide a circuit connection with anelectrical socket, an insulated body removably positioned in the hollowbody, and an automatic circuit breaker carried by the body andcomprising a pair of stationary contacts and a movable contact movableinto and out of engagement therewith, spring means biasing the movablecontact to an open position, a trip device holding the movable contactin closed position and including a rockable shaft having a lockingnotch, a push button operated resetting toggle member having a dogengageable with the notch for locking the shaft against movement, a pinrotatable on the body and terminally fixed to the movable contact andthe toggle member whereby engagement of the dog with the notch willretain the movable contact in engagement with the stationary contacts,and means for releasing the trip device and including a lever crosswiseof one end of the shaft, an armature pivotally mounted on the body andhaving an offset extending portion engageable with the lever to rock theshaft in a trip releasing movement, electromagnet means in the circuitand supported on the body for actuating the armature to its shaftrocking position, and a push button operatin means engaging the offsetportion to independently actuate the shaft in its trip releasingmovement.

LOUIS C. ONDREJCA. JOSEPH F. ONDREJCA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent: Y

UNITED, STATES PATENTS Germany Sept. 20, 1940

